On this day, March 9, 1958, one of the most notorious outlaws of the early 20th century, Kinnie Wagner, died in Parchman Prison at the age of 55. His life was a string of crimes, daring escapes, and legendary run-ins with the law.
Wagner’s story is one of violence and audacity. On April 13, 1925, he ambushed and killed two Kingsport, Tennessee, police officers, landing himself in the Sullivan County jail. But imprisonment wouldn’t hold him for long. On July 12, 1925, Wagner orchestrated a daring escape when a group of prisoners was being returned from a chain gang. Alongside fellow inmates, he broke out of his cell, waited in the corridor, then overpowered the unsuspecting jailer and deputy as they brought the others inside. Stealing their guns, Wagner and his accomplices vanished into the night, sparking a massive manhunt. A reward of $2,750 was issued for his capture—dead or alive.
But this wasn’t Wagner’s first escape, nor would it be his last. He had already been on the run for the murder of Sheriff Murdock McIntosh in Mississippi in December 1924, and after fleeing Tennessee, he returned to Mississippi, where he killed two more men. Time and again, he was caught, convicted, and yet somehow found a way to break free.
Beyond his criminal pursuits, Wagner was also known as a crack shot, a skill he honed while performing in a traveling Wild West show—until he was caught stealing from his fellow performers. His sharpshooting ability made him a deadly adversary, feared by law enforcement across multiple states.
Despite his ability to evade justice for years, including using his job training tracking dogs as an inmate in one prison to avoid his scent, Wagner’s luck ran out in Mississippi, where he ultimately spent the rest of his days behind bars. His long and violent life came to an end on March 9, 1958, when he died of a heart attack in the infamous Parchman Prison.
Kinnie Wagner remains a legend of true crime history in Appalachia.
